A Chinese satellite tv for pc had a close to collision with one of many many chunks of particles left by the fallout of a current Russian anti-satellite missile take a look at, state media reported.
Moscow blew up one among its outdated satellites in November in a missile take a look at that sparked worldwide anger due to the area particles it scattered across the Earth’s orbit.
US officers accused Moscow of finishing up a “dangerous and irresponsible” strike that had created a cloud of particles and compelled the International Space Station’s crew to take evasive motion.
Russia dismissed these considerations and denied that the area particles posed any hazard however a brand new incident with a Chinese satellite tv for pc suggests in any other case.
In the most recent encounter, China’s Tsinghua Science Satellite got here as shut as 14.5 metres from a chunk of particles, the state-run Global Times reported late Wednesday.
The “extremely dangerous” occasion occurred on Tuesday, the report added, citing a social media put up by Chinese area authorities that has since been eliminated.
Space particles knowledgeable Liu Jing advised the Global Times that it was uncommon for particles and spacecraft to be only a dozen metres aside, including that the likelihood of collision this time was “very high” and will theoretically have known as for evasive motion.
Anti-satellite weapons are high-tech missiles possessed by few nations, and the transfer reignited considerations about an escalating arms race in area – encompassing the whole lot from laser weapons to satellites able to shunting others out of orbit.
The take a look at was the fourth ever to hit a spacecraft from the bottom, and generated greater than 1,500 items of trackable orbital particles.
Last 12 months there have been shut encounters between the Chinese area station and satellites operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which led to Beijing accusing the US of irresponsible and unsafe conduct in area.
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